Kindergarten: Taking Care of Business

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

Writing

W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Speaking & Listening

SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.K.1(a) Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).

SL.K.1(b) Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

DESCRIPTION OF LESSON

This Kindergarten lesson titled “Taking Care of Business” cited on the CPALMS website is intended to be completed in two hours of social studies/literacy instruction. In this lesson, students investigate the world of jobs through a class discussion and a picture walk that is followed by an interactive read aloud of an informational text. With guided practice and specific group tasks, students work together to create a poster that shows what they have learned about jobs, job duties, and job settings. Each group then shares their poster with the whole class. Individually, students complete the “Community Helpers Summative Assessment” that requires them to identify the main idea and then to write or illustrate key details about the job, job duties, and settings for each of the four community helpers focused on in the lesson.

CAUTIONS

Connecticut teachers are cautioned to look at the lesson materials prior to using the lesson since there is a list of prior knowledge kindergarten students will need for the successful implementation of this lesson. The read aloud book, Everybody Works by Shelley Rotner and Ken Kreisler, is not included with the lesson materials. Detailed assessment guidelines are provided, but an aligned rubric to provide guidance for interpreting student performance on the targeted standards is recommended.

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION

This lesson is a good example of teaching and learning that builds content knowledge in social studies through a coherent sequence of reading, text questions, speaking, listening, drawing and/or writing activities. It addresses instructional expectations and is easy to understand and use. The lesson integrates appropriate, extensive, and easily implemented supports for students who are ELL, have disabilities and/or read or write below grade level. The lesson materials include tips for preparing and managing materials, general classroom management, student feedback, accommodations, and extensions.